How should sensitive data be disposed of according to best practices?

Sensitive data disposal according to best practices emphasizes the importance of ensuring that data cannot be recovered or accessed after it is no longer needed. Secure deletion or physical destruction is the most effective method to achieve this.

Secure deletion involves using specialized software that overwrites the data multiple times, making it nearly impossible to recover using data recovery tools. This is particularly important for sensitive information, as even deleted files can sometimes be restored if standard deletion methods are used.

Physical destruction, on the other hand, involves the actual destruction of the physical media where data is stored, such as hard drives or USB devices. This could include shredding, crushing, or degaussing (which disrupts the magnetic field of storage media). This method is the most foolproof way to ensure that data cannot be visualized or retrieved by any means.

The other options, while they may seem valid in some contexts, do not provide the same level of assurance for sensitive data. Standard methods of deletion are often not secure enough, archiving does not eliminate the risk of unauthorized access, and transferring data to a cloud service may introduce new vulnerabilities if the data is not adequately protected in transit and at rest. Therefore, the best practice for disposing of sensitive data is through secure deletion or physical destruction